Telemedicine, also referred to as telehealth, generally refers to the use of technology to enable physicians or other healthcare providers to examine and treat or recommend treatment for a remotely located patient. Although telemedicine can be practiced using technology as simple as a telephone, the telemedicine solution market today includes devices and software having a wide range of sophistication. Examples of telemedicine devices include the INTOUCH XPRESS, INTOUCH VICI, INTOUCH VANTAGE, INTOUCH LITE, and INTOUCH VITA, all marketed by INTOUCH TECHNOLOGIES, INC., of Goleta, Calif.
The range of solutions generally intends to satisfy the functional and economic requirements of telemedicine encounters in different types of settings with varying levels of acuity. For example, smartphones, tablets, or laptop computers with basic audiovisual capabilities may be sufficient for a patient to consult with their doctor on treating a cold or behavioral health issues. These types of devices, however, may be insufficient in a higher acuity setting such as a hospital emergency department, intensive care unit, or specialty clinic, where the remote physician may require more capable video or imaging devices and/or the ability to monitor data from peripheral medical devices in real time. Other settings where telemedicine is practiced may present other unique requirements.
Thus, the telemedicine solution market is replete with disparate devices and software solutions that seek to satisfy the varied requirements of many different telehealth encounter settings. In addition, while many of these devices offer great value in terms of their ability to provide real-time audio/video consultation between remote parties, few of these devices provide any value to local care providers when not being used in a session with a remote care provider.